(a)For purposes of this article, utility
services shall include water, electrical, sewer, solid waste (refuse), and
any other utility services provided by the City.

(b)Any person, firm, or corporation desiring a
connection for any municipal utility shall apply in writing to the City Clerk,
on a form furnished for that purpose, for application for any utility
services.The application shall:

(1)Contain an exact description including street
address of the property to be served

(2)For water service, state the size of tap
required and the size and kind of service pipe to be used

(3)State the full name of the owner of the
premises to be served and all occupants of the premises to be served

(4)Any other pertinent information required by
the City Clerk including full name, date of birth, social security number,
closest relative not living in the premises (for contact information), and
place of employment

(5)List of all adults residing in the premises

(c)Each application for service shall be
accompanied by payment of fees and/or costs as specified in the Mount Hope City
Code

(d)The City of Mount Hope reserves the right to
refuse service to any person who has an unpaid utility bill or bad debt with
the City.If the applicant is a tenant
and the landlord chooses to keep the utilities in his/her name after the tenant
moves in, utility service may be refused or discontinued if the City determines
the benefit user residing in the rental property has unpaid debts with the
City.Benefit users may not avoid
payment of past services by having utilities put in the landlord’s name, or any
other name.The landlord will not be
responsible for any of the tenant’s previous unpaid utility bills or bad debts
but will be responsible for any debts occurring while the City utilities are in
his/her name.

(e)It shall be unlawful for any person or
persons to interfere with, tamper, destroy, or force open any meter, faucet, or
connection, or in any way whatsoever to destroy, injure, or deface any part of
the meter.

(f)Any person, firm, or other entity violating
any of the provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction in Municipal Court shall be fined an amount not to exceed
$500.Each day’s violation of this
article shall constitute a separate offense or violation of this article.

(a)If a utility bill has not been paid on or
before the due date as provided in this chapter, a delinquency and termination
notice shall be issued by the city clerk within 10 days after the delinquency
occurs and mailed to the customer at his or her last known address.A copy also shall be mailed to the occupant
of the premises if the occupant and the customer are not the same person.

(b)The notice shall state:

(1)The amount due, plus delinquency charge;

(2)Notice that service will be terminated if the
amount due is not paid within 10 days from the date of the notice unless the
date on the notice to pay the charges due shall be on a Saturday, Sunday or
legal holiday, in which event such notice will give the consumer until the
close of the next business day in which to pay the charges;

(3)Notice that the customer has the right to a
hearing before the city council;

(c)Upon receipt of a request for hearing, the
city clerk shall advise the customer of the date, time and place of the hearing
which shall be held following receipt of the request.

Following the hearing,
if the council shall find that service should not be terminated, then notice of
such finding shall be presented to the city clerk.If the council finds that service should be
terminated, an order shall be issued.The customer shall be notified either in person or by mailing a letter
to his or her last known address by certified mail, return receipt
requested.However, if the order is made
at the hearing in the presence of the customer, then no further notice need be
given.

The City shall cause
utility service customers to receive a monthly statement for utility services
rendered.The statements are due upon
receipt by the customer. In the event the statement is 30-60 daysdelinquent, a late charge of ten percent
(10%) will be assessed and added to the utility charges. In addition to the
late charge, any statement that is over 60 days delinquent will be
assessedinterest at the rate of one
percent (1%) per month of the total amount of the utility statement will be
assessed and added to the utility charges.

Service shall be
terminated only after the city shall have caused a notice of termination to be
sent by U.S. mail, first class, to the customer at the last known address of
the customer as shown on the records of the city or the notice of termination
may be posted on the premises indicated by the address.If within 10 days from the mailing or posting
of the notice the statement remains unpaid, and no request for a hearing before
the city has been received, the city shall terminate the utility services, and
no further service shall be furnished by the city to the customer until all
billings for the utility service to the premises, interest, late payment
charges, if applicable, are paid in full.

In the event any
customer disputes the amount shown on the statement, they may notify the city
clerk of the dispute, and shall thereupon have the right to a hearing before
the city council at its first meeting following the notice of termination.If a hearing is requested, no services shall
be terminated prior to the hearing date.It shall be presumed, in the absence of such notice of dispute or
request for hearing, that the customer does not dispute the amount shown on the
statement.

(a)At the time of making application for utility
service, the property owner or customer shall make a cash deposit in the amount
set by the governing body to secure payment of accrued bills or bills due on
discontinuance of service.Receipt thereof
shall be issued to each such depositor.

(b)Cash deposits for the indicated utility
services shall be in the following amounts:

(1)Rental Property:

Electric -
$115;

Water - $9;

Service
Connection Fee (non-refundable) - $1.

(c)The deposit so made shall be kept by the city
clerk in a separate account and deposited in a fund designated as the “meter
deposit fund.” Interest shall be payable at the rate determined by the state
corporation commission yearly and credited to the customer’s account January
1st of each calendar year.

(d)On the third interest payment date following
the deposit required above, the city clerk shall refund the deposit of any
depositor who is owner of the premises wherein such utility service is being
furnished and has not been delinquent in payment of any utility service charge
during the past year.Interest due and
accrued shall not draw interest.

(e)Upon the discontinuance of any service at the
request of the depositor, the deposit shall be refunded upon surrender of the
original receipt therefor together with the accrued interest thereon less any
amount due and owing the city for services furnished prior thereto or it may be
credited towards the payment of the final bill rendered to the customer.

(f)Any security deposit not refunded within
three years after discontinuance of service shall be deposited in the utility
fund of the city upon compliance with the provisions of K.S.A. 12-822 as
amended.

(a)The City Clerk/Treasurer is hereby authorized
to establish and maintain a petty cash fund for the efficient carrying out of
the purpose of which the fund is established, but not to exceed $300.00. This
fund is established for the purpose of making change and payment of incidental
office expenses incurred by the City. The fund shall be administered by the
City Clerk/Treasurer in accordance with regulations providing for such lawful
administration.

(b)A sum of up to, but not exceeding $300.00 is
appropriated from the City General Fund to the City Cash Fund for the purposes
authorized by this section. The City Clerk/Treasurer is authorized, from time
to time, to reimburse the petty cash fund for actual expenses incurred for
lawful expenditures.

The petty cash fund
shall be deposited in the regular deposit.Warrants issued therefor shall be payable to the petty cash fund and
shall be deposited therein to restore said petty cash fund to its original
amount.

Prior to reconnection
of a utility service disconnected following a delinquency, the customer shall
pay to the city the entire balance due and owing to the city prior to
reconnection.The customer shall also
pay a charge of $25 for the reconnection of electrical, water or both utility
services.

Citizen/debtor shall
pay any and all charges related to the reasonable costs of collection of any
fine/fee/costs of services, as well as any costs/assessments for clean-up of
the property for a municipal violation that is the issue herein. This
specifically applies to, but is not limited to, charges for water, trash,
electricity, property code violation fines, parking tickets, municipal court
fines, fees, court costs, interest accrued thereon, and any other debt due and
owing to the municipality. The costs of collection include, but are not limited
to, court costs, surcharges, attorney fees, and collection agency fee, except
that such cost of collection may not include both attorney fees and collection
fees.